title: Assessment of pulmonary arterial pressure by velocity-encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging in children with congenital heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Velocity-encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging (VEC-MRI) has recently been reported as effective for assessing not only pulmonary blood flow (Qp) but also pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in adults. However, there have been few reports on the usefulness of VEC-MRI for assessing PAP in children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 34 children with CHD. Qp and systemic blood flows (Qs) were determined by cardiac catheterization and VEC-MRI. The right-to-left Qp ratio (R/L) was measured by pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy and VEC-MRI. The pulmonary-to-systemic blood pressure ratio (Pp/Ps) was determined by cardiac catheterization. The acceleration time (AcT), ejection time (ET), peak velocity (PV), acceleration volume (AcV), and maximal change in flow rate during ejection (MCFR) in the pulmonary arteries, which were standardized by body surface area, were determined by VEC-MRI. The children were divided into 2 groups according to Pp/Ps. The Qs, R/L ratio and Qp/Qs obtained by VEC-MRI strongly correlated with those obtained by catheterization and scintigraphy. No significant differences in AcT, ET, AcT/ET, PV, or AcV were observed between the 2 groups. However, a significant difference was observed in MCFR. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between the MCFR and Pp/Ps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study clearly demonstrated that VEC-MRI is useful for assessing not only blood flow, but also PAP, by referring to MCFR in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Asahikawa Medical University.
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kajino
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kajihama
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakau
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azuma
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography